Mother Arrested After Her Hungry 3-Year-Old Tells Police, 'I Need A Beer'

Police have arrested 42-year-old Shauna Bennett, the mother of a 3-year-old girl who was found wandering alone around their apartment complex, and who told police upon their arrival, "I need a beer."

According to a report from the Lubbock, Texas, police, the toddler was "extremely dirty" when authorities arrived and covered in bites from bed bugs. The young girl also complained several times of hunger and made the bizarre drink request to cops.

Police arrived at Bennett's apartment following what is believed to be a call from the apartment complex's owner about the child's safety, and found the door to the woman's home ajar. It was not the first time that the child had been found wandering unsupervised outside of her home.

Police went inside after hearing no response from Bennett, and found cockroaches climbing the walls, and an unsanitary kitchen, with dishes covered in dirt and mold. The girl's mother was found asleep in bed and told police that she had "no idea" where her daughter was at the time.

"This was a clear case of neglect on the mother's part," said Lieutenant Ray Mendoza. Bennett is being held in jail in $15,000 bond, and has been charged with abandoning and endangering a child.